


Chocolate and honeycomb

by Swartmaan



Category: Holby City
Genre: Episode: s19e07 The Kill List, F/F, Fanart, First Time, My First Fanart
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-08
Updated: 2021-03-11
Packaged: 2021-03-14 15:48:13
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 13,828
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29298396
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Swartmaan/pseuds/Swartmaan
Summary: A whole week separate that kiss in the office and episode 8, when Serena gets to work with Bernie's car. Where did she sleep?P.s. for those who read "Hope" this happens in the same universe so you may find some references.The special thing is out! Check my first Berena fanart at chapter 7.
Relationships: Jason Haynes/Bernie Wolfe, Serena Campbell/Bernie Wolfe
Comments: 18
Kudos: 77





	1. Monday

In a rush they touched, skin ,pressed together, struggled to have more, burned in thath luck. Mouths, hot and wet, came to devour one another, as if they'd be starving for too long. Blond locks were catched in the middle of the hurricane that was taking place behind close blinders, behind a locked door. Heavy breaths took in the same dump air and toungues joined the fight for dominance, eliciting wonderful noises from the deep of aching throats. A loud gasp escaped from Serena's mouth when Bernie firmly pushed her body against the wall, her hands grabbing her waist and hips. She would give that woman everything she wanted and the moisture between her thighs was a concrete prove to that, unfortunately that wasn't the right place, and they both seemed to suddenly take consciousness of that, so they pulled apart.  
"I'm surprised at you, Ms Campbell. This is highly unprofessional." An husky voice came from the stunning woman before Serena's eyes. She couldn't help the thrill running down her spine and the seductive tone she used to almost whisper "Look at what you're making of me, Major".  
"I think we should call security now" Bernie muttered, her eyes now looking down.  
"What, do you mind being locked in our office with me?" Serena teased, not even sure of the reason why she did.  
Bernie raised eyebrows at that delicious boldness "Not at all" she said and Serena was the one to blush now. They reluctantly pulled back and reached for the telephone. A few minutes later a man came and opened the door so they were forced to join the world outside, already missing the one behind their backs. Jason and Fletch were grinning with satisfaction.  
"Ain't got any work to do today, men?" Serena's usual authoritative tone scolded them than she got closer "thank you" she whispered to the pair with a friendly wink.  
The atmosphere had been electric for the entire morning and after what had just happened it still was, but for a different reason. Nether Bernie or Serena could take the recent events out their minds, and it showed in every heated up gaze, every casual touch and ill-concealed smile the two shared. Since their first kiss theatre had started to feel different. They had always worked in a perfect flow, four hands moving as if they were guided by a common brain, this time tough it felt like half of that was switched off. Of course they were professionals, kinda the best in the country and the only concern in theatre was for the patient and the surgery but every now and then a stare was a little longer, and Serena cought herself lost on the perfect motion of her co-lead's fingers. Every joint responded with an incredible ease to the finest calibrated signals trough the perfect strong and flexible tendons that firmly emerged from the soft, warm skin under the white, rubber glove. God only knew what those hand felt like elsewhere. The vascular surgeon blinked that thought away and cut the suture.  
"Good job, doctor" Serena congratulated as they were out, washing their hands side by side.  
"My equal may have helped" Bernie teased, making the other woman roll her eyes and the pair bursted into laughter, apparently with no reason.  
"Oh my, you're incredible" Serena said, her right index drying the corner of her eye, the left hand lingering on her colleague's muscular forearm. The contract gave her pads a jolt of electricity but they were Bernie's eyes that set her on fire so that she actually got the statement she had just uttered. Then she blushed a little end pulled her hand back.  
The shift finally came to an end, Bernie and Fletch were walking trough the corridor almost ready to leave, chatting, untill they reached for the leaders' office.  
"We're having a drink at Alby's, are you joining?" The man asked Serena. She slightly parted her lips to dismiss the offer for she really couldn't stand the tension of being at the object of her desire and not really clean fantasies' side a minute longer, having to keep an appropriate behaviour, but her honeycomb voice cut her short.  
"It won't necessarily be just one, don't worry, Campbell. We're celebrating my first day back in the club, I'm buying."  
"In this case it would be so rude of me saying no" she said and stood up trying not to blush at Bernie's lovely smile.  
A little later they were sitting by the counter, toasting to the NHS and to the star of the night, finally back in the team. Morven asked about Ukraine and the trauma unit there and Bernie gave a very tacnical speech in response, the one that could fit conference or some preliminary meeting with F1s. Fletch and Raf looked at each other with the mischievous gaze they always had when something naughty was on their minds:  
"Beautiful speech, Wolfe" Fletch chipped in.  
"Absolutely fascinating, we had no doubt about your total dedication to your job" his friend supported.  
"Any lucky Ukrainian girl caught your heart and made you decide to leave our beautiful country for good?"  
Bernie almost choked up with her whiskey at that. "I fear not" 'I prefer English girls' she thought but didn't dare to say loud. "And what makes you think I'm leaving?"  
"Hannsen said you decided to stay after your secondment" Raf rub it in, apparently having fun of it. Serena, sitting slightly apart didn't know where to hide her face.  
"Things change, Raf" the major said loud, considering the man not to be the one she was addressing.  
Ric squeezed Serena's hand and came to rescue "Enough guys, cut her some slack" he laughed and finally proposed a change of topic.  
Two hours later the group said goodbye and everyone walked to reach the cars. Bernie had waited too much to be alone with Serena again.  
"Where's your car?" She asked.  
"Not far from here" the other woman pointed some spot with her left hand.  
"Mind if I come with you?"  
"Not at all." Serena's hearts pounding so loud that she feared Bernie would be able to hear it. An awkward silence fell on the couple untill Bernie forced herself to speak: "it's been a lovely evening."  
"Yes, it has..." Bernie was bagging for Serena to say something more than just that.  
"I think they missed you" the vascular surgeon tried to sound casual with that.  
"I suppose so...you know, it startles me a little...all of this big happy family thing going on in this hospital."  
"Does it?"  
"Well not that's something I'm not used to. You know, in the army when you're part of the team you are more than a brother, someone to die for, it isn't exactly the same thing but...I didn't think this could happen in this world too."  
Serena was fascinated by every unrevealed inch of that always so silent, reserved woman's life, she needed to known more than that but she always feared to look invasive.  
"Hearing from you it seems like we are on another planet at the moment" she tried to keep it as light as possible.  
"Well, it feels pretty much so. I'm still trying to learn the rules I think." Bernie said, hands buried into the pockets of her pink coat.  
"Hope it's worth" Serena didn't dare to look away from the pavement, that wasn't the proper definition for light conversation. She stopped when she noticed they had got by her car and than a low mutter made her heart skip a beat.  
"I think it is."  
The two women looked at each other in silence, their bodies naturally attracted by one another.  
"So... goodnight, colleague" Serena rushed out of the blue, quickly looking anywhere but at the tall, definitely attractive woman in front of her, the one she had just incomprehesibly called "colleague".  
Bernie didn't let her the chance to regret another move that night, took her by the hand and pulled her closer for a kiss. Serena immediately relaxed, almost melting in the other woman's arms. She was smiling like a teenager when they pulled back, butterflies in her stomach and all the rest.  
"Good night, Serena."  
She waited for her to get into the car, start the engine and disappear behind the corner before letting out a long sigh, she was totally, blindly in love with that bold, clever and incredibly gorgeous woman.


	2. Tuesday

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't know why, but this is Holby so I needed some hurt. Enjoy

"Good morning" Bernie said getting into the big elevator. Serena couldn't help a bright smile on her face and greeted her as well. There were other people around, saying hi and talking about whatever was happening in their lives, so the couple tried to do the same. Being co-leaders meant that they had a lot of work issues to discuss so they easily covered the silence between them until they were into their shared office. Bernie had followed Serena's scent trough the corridors, not that it was something strong, it was quite delicate in fact but definitely unmistakable. It was like vanilla and soap bar, with something else, fresher, raspberries probably. It spread behind her back in a thin line but sprawled in a stream as she took her coat off, filling the room.   
"Jason brought your present home yesterday." Serena started, now that they had some privacy.  
"Hope it was a good company." The other woman's low, deep, husky voice murmured.  
"Well, not really since it's still waiting unopened on my counter."  
"That's a shame..." Was Bernie's face closer?  
"Maybe we can share it one of these nights" Serena struggled to sound as casual as her interlocutor.  
"We've got a dinner in store still, as far as I remember."  
"I fear it's going to wait until Friday, you know, Jason's routine is quite inflexible."  
"That's a shame as well."  
Serena was quite sure now, her colleague's face was closer. She felt her heart pounding harder, and prayed for her cheeks not to look as hot as they felt, God only knew how did her lips look at the moment. Bernie's ones were perfect, slightly blushed up, terribly soft and inviting. The pounding sound in Serena's hears grew even louder until Bernie seemed to hear it too and winced. It took Serena a couple of seconds to get that it wasn't her fault and that the loud pounding sound was actually a knocking sound, coming from the door.   
"Miss Wolfe, bed five needs you" an F1 called so the major made her way out the office.  
Serena sat at her desk instead and switched her computer on, paperwork wasn't her favourite way to start a day but she hoped she could get on with finishing it as soon as possible. After all it was easier to concentrate without her co-leader sitting in front of her, her blonde messy waves glowing in the direct sunlight coming through the window, making her look like a bloody angel. She got out in the ward a couple of hours later, it seemed to be a quite day after all. A new patient came in, 22-year-old male. Found unconscious on a playing field with a GCS of three, a junior doctor told.  
"intubated at the scenes, BP 165 over 70,  
pulse 65, sats 98 and ventilation. No obvious injuries, query neurological event."  
"Right, FBC, LFTs, U&Es, clotting, group and save, please, and an head CT" Serena ordered.  
"An urgent CT, it seems" Bernie added, she really needed some louder shoes.  
"And Friday sounds good to me" she whispered to her colleague's ear, smiling at the goosebumps she gave her, than left before Serena could utter some kind of answer. They didn't meet up until lunchtime. They had a sandwich in their office, Bernie sitting down on the couch, Serena leaning on her desk.  
"How is that guy?"   
"The CT revealed a bleed but he is under control now. He came out from theatre half an hour ago, Raf is taking care of him."  
"Good. Raf is going to make a good job"   
"Yes, he is a good doctor...and a good friend. You know, I talked to him when you were gone. I-I think that, well, what he said last night, I think I played a role in that." Serena admitted, scarcely blushing up.  
Bernie on the other hand looked as indecipherable as usual, a bit frown maybe. She stared her own hands for she couldn't take Serena's gaze at the moment:   
"You had all the right to be upset, and scared... I was scared too, like hell...but what I said, Serena, I meant it: I'm not leaving again." She paused a little then her voice became even lower "Unless you want me to."  
"I don't want you to go" Serena whispered, her voice too broken to come out louder.  
"Okay...but if you change your mind... I will respect your decision, I won't fight the way you tried to, the day I left and the weeks after that... if you ask me, if you really do, I will leave." Her words felt as hard as stone and equally cold, why was she saying that? How could she believe she was going to ask her to leave? She didn't want her to, though she still recalled feeling guilty and selfish for trying to keep her close when all she wanted was leaving to Ukraine. A lump in her throat kept her to say something and Bernie stood up, got closer and silently asked the authorisation to take her hand. Serena allowed her and the two shared a long gaze, some of those you could drown in. Bernie felt tears coming to her eyes and words to her tongue, she loved Serena like she had never done anyone before and she desperately wanted her to know, but she couldn't, both her tears and words remained where they were and she loosened the grip on her hand, turned her back and left. Serena was frozen and yet captured more and more by Bernie and her magnetic, magnificent way of being as deep as cryptic, as dark as soft. She loved her like she had never done anyone else before and she wanted her to know that, but she couldn't.

It was ten to five p.m. and Serena's shift was almost over when some of Bernie's patients got critical.  
"Serena" she called as she saw her approaching and instinctively put her left hand on the base of her back once she was by her side.  
"What's the matter?" Serena asked, trying to focus on the other woman's right hand instead, the one that was holding the results of Mr Mayfield's tests.  
"The patient is still bleeding out and hydrocortisone isn't working."  
"He'll need an arthroscopic washout and probably debridement." Serena asserted.  
"We're taking him to theatre...If you have to go..."  
"Not at all, I'm scrubbing in" she winked without doublethinking, it was job after all, Jason would understand one way or another.  
When they came out the sun had already set, the man wasn't out of danger though and may need a further surgery. The two women sat down on the small couch in their office, none of them ready to talk, but both enjoying the worm silence of the room.   
"If you need me here I can stay, I'd only need to call Jason" Serena proposed. She loved her job of course and she had never minded double shifts but she knew there was something more. Since the day she started to work by Bernie's side she had been more than pleased to spend extra time in the ward, with her.  
"Don't worry about it, I don't think I'm staying long either. You can't miss the pinguins, can you?" She joked.  
"I'm better not" Serena lightly laughed and finally had the chance to look into her co-leader's hezelnut eyes. It didn't last long though for they got shot when they're lips met. Serena lost herself in that incredible softness. Bernie's taste was addicting, like chocolate honeycomb she thought and giggled at the unusual association. She didn't want to leave, and the other woman's hand on the side of her thigh confirmed that. In a few minutes Serena was up, leaving to the locker room, half an hour later she was back, showered and full dressed, ready to go home. She wasn't expecting to find Bernie still in the office, blinders closed, but it was definitely a good surprise. They immediately found their place in each other's harms, on each other's lips.  
"Have some rest, okay?" Serena's voice caressed Bernie's ears.  
"Aye aye, Captain" she laughed in response.  
They said their goodbyes and soon, too soon got apart. Bernie had a cold shower and went to the on-call room, Serena went home to spend the rest of the evening with Jason and pinguins. They needed some rest but both knew they wouldn't easily fall asleep that night.


	3. Wednesday

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Serena rolled her eyes and sighed. She was was not expecting her first bed sharing with Bernie Wolfe to happen like that, but she was still quite excited.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're getting there, enjoy.

At five to eight Serena's car reached her spot in the hospital yard, six to eight, according to her meticulous nephew. At eight they were both in the ward, like clockwork, coffee and orange juice in their hands. Serena's carefully applied make up hid the signs of an almost sleepless night, her resolved pase kept everyone from stopping and looking at her long enough to notice the fatigue that came out eventually. When she got to the office the door was open and Bernie was there, the back of a lucky pencil held between her teeth, softly resting on the right side of her lower lip.  
"Oh you're here" Serena said, a little surprised and probably a little too abruptly. She thought she would have had more time to recover from a night spent in thinking about her and what happened between them, and what she desperately wanted to happen. But she was already there, in front of her, the only woman on Earth that could look great in a scrub, with her hair tight in a small ponytail and her beautiful profile outlined by a thin rim of light; God bless that window.  
"I'm glad to see you too" Bernie laughed and the other woman couldn't help blushing.  
"Spent a good night?" She added so Serena's face got redder. She rushed an answer, something like an "Oh yes, great" and kept talking to distract her colleague from her unease: "How is Mr Mayfield?"  
"He's fine, we took him into theatre again after you left but I think he's out of danger now."  
"I'm sorry I left you to that...I should have stayed."  
"It's okay, Raf helped me out with it."  
Serena gulped at the thought of Raf and Bernie together, working side by side in theatre and sharing opinions on the surgery and God only knew what else as soon as they were left alone.  
"I hope you managed to sleep a little though, you must be dead tired." She softly said, truly concerned about her. Bernie stood up, reached for her and that was the first moment Serena noticed that the blinders were still closed. She didn't know why no one had opened them or who closed them again but she felt grateful to him, or to her, more likely. She smiled at that thought and soon found herself so close to her whatever they were that she could feel her breath on her own skin.  
"I'm fine" she whispered, her eyes digging a hole in Serena's chest so her heartbeat echoed in it. Serena scarcely smiled before they kissed, shyly at first, than slowly and intensely.  
"Good morning" the major's low voice said as they pulled back and Serena immediately felt warmer.  
"I think I can get used to these goodmornings" She smiled.  
It was actually a good morning, many discharges and a very brave little girl that broke her leg and made a beautiful drawing to thank the two super doctors that fixed it.  
"She makes me think about Charlotte" Bernie said at some point, looking at the colorful sheet of paper on Serena's desk. "She made a drawing like this when she was a kid...my super mum saves lives, she said."  
"She was proud of you" Serena tiptoed.  
"I think I gave her enough of a chance to change her mind." Bernie murmured mostly to herself.  
"I think you did your best."  
"I didn't, Serena. I've been selfish and I've been a coward. I've always told myself that you don't have to change your life for someone else, that that's a miserable thing, but I know I've always used that mantra like an apology. I built up a family because Marcus loved me...but I didn't, I've had two marvellous children and I ran from all of them. I've been awful to all of them and if that's my best, God, I don't want to know what's my worst." Bernie tossed out, almost barked, her solid barriers falling to pieces, taking Serena by surprise. She was not expecting that either, she had never considered herself an emotional person, 'cold and tough' had always been her motto but everything was different with Serena around. She knew she could trust her, she knew she could show herself vulnerable before her eyes. She definitely had a thing for Serena's bright, loving eyes.  
"You've changed though. The first step in getting over it is owning up to it, right?" Serena said in her best mentor tone, her hand softly brushing the other woman's blonde locks.  
"What have I done to deserve you?" Bernie thought and the expression Serena gave made her realise she didn't keep it in her mind.  
"Come on, major, we're superheroes, we've go a ward to save" she said, so they smiled at each other.  
The rest of the day went on with Serena trying to keep Bernie away from the most demanding issues, she was in fact a super hero but even superheroes need some rest to recover between an endeavour and another and she knew that she was exhausted, even though she was well trained for hiding it. Bernie would hardly admit that but she was grateful to her. Being loved was not something she took easy, she had always found herself in the uncomfortable position of guessing if she deserved that feeling. With Serena it had been like that for a while, but lately she had started to take that and just enjoying it, for however long it was meant to last. She had tossed too many relationships in the trash and she didn't want to do that again, Serena was a good person, she didn't deserve to get hurt, not that Marcus an Alex did, nor the kids, but she had waisted too many chances and felt like the time had come to stop running. "Life is way too short", she had always believed that but in some kind of way she had never taken her own advice, not in love matter, that was for sure.   
Working in the AAU means that things can change within seconds and a regular Wednesday afternoon can turn in a rushed fight to keep water out of the boat. A car crash was to blame, five people injuried, three of them pretty critical.  
"I need CT to check his spine and Morven,  
ask for a portable chest X-ray to determine the exact position of the plate in Mr Graham." Serena instructed.  
"As soon as the results are ready we can proceed with removing it." She told Dom while Bernie was taking care of another patient:  
"We've got damage to the aorta, Miss Campbell we need you in theatre" she said and so they did.  
Four hours passed before everything was calm again, it was eight p.m. and Serena knew she was going to spend the night in the ward. She wanted Bernie to go home instead, a forty-eight hours shift like that was too much even for her. She was way too stubborn so they came to a compromise.  
"Good to have you here, Fletch. Keep an eye on Mr Graham and if anything changes let me know, we'll be in the on-call." she said pointing at Bernie, who was standing just behind her.  
The man nodded: "Relax, girls. We'll take care of it" he mischievously winked, so Serena rolled her eyes and sighed. She was was not expecting her first bed sharing with Bernie Wolfe to happen like that, but she was still quite excited.  
"I can take the couch" the major said as they got into the on-call room.  
"Oh please, you won't sleep on the couch...and I bet that the bed is big enough for both of us." Serena firmly uttered, trying not to smile.  
"Are you sure?" The other woman's voice was low and shy, definitely adorable.  
"Of course I am" this time Serena didn't try to hold her smile back.  
"Okay then, thank you." Bernie tenderly smiled, her head slightly tilted aside, her eyes half closed.  
"Oh, you're very welcome. Come on" Serena invited, patting the mattress.  
Bernie couldn't ask any better conclusion to such an exhausting couple of days, she would have tormented herself about what could be the right thing to do in that situation, but she was too tired to do that. She just let things go the way they were supposed to, something that turned out being laying down next to Serena Campbell and in her arms.  
"Bernie?" She called in a velvet whisper. "May I kiss you?"  
The major rolled to her other side and softly pressed her lips on Serena's perfect ones, she couldn't believe it was really happening. In the very dim light of the room she was a vision, but her body was real, her hands, her arms, her back and her breath, hot and dump, she was not fantasizing about it all, not this time. They pulled back brightly smiling and fixed their position so that Serena's head was resting between Bernie's shoulder and the crook of her neck, her heart playing a muffled lullaby in her right ear, her arm holding her close, their fingers and legs intertwined. It was their very first night together but they knew they already couldn't do without that anymore.


	4. Thursday

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a little longer for a lot of things happened on Thursday. Enjoy.

A knock on the door woke them up. It was still dark and they hadn't moved from the position they fell asleep in.  
"Miss Campbell, you're required at bed six." Fletch called trough the door.  
"I'll be right there, thank you" the woman answered firmly but trying to keep her voice down. She heard footsteps moving away and turned her attention back to the woman that still held her tight, stirred a little and looked at her. She was smiling in a way she had never seen before, she was incredibly beautiful and Serena thought she could die on the marvellous lips of hers. She did it in fact, tasting something pretty close to what paradise was supposed to, as they shared a feather kiss. Then she was back to life, the ward needed her.  
"You should go home" She said and set up, cold air aching on her back as soon as she left the comfort of her more than friend's arms. Bernie protested a little, the bed in the on-call was comfortable indeed, and it smelled like Serena, which was something not to underate.  
"Fine. I'm having a day off, but what about joining me at mine for lunch?" The major asked, hoping it wasn't too rushed. She hardly could stand a whole day without 'her equal' though, not after abruptly waking up with her and watching her leave in less than five minutes.  
"I would love it" Serena smiled but immediately lost her brightness: "I have to come and pick Jason up at five though."  
"Don't worry, I'll set you free in time" Bernie winked and Serena's heart skipped a beat. How was she supposed to concentrate on work with the thought of being finally alone with Bernie, in her house, with all of the horizontal surfaces there? "Come on, Campbell, it's just a lunch" she told herself, desperately struggling to steady her nerves. One last kiss and the two were apart, Serena closed the door behind her and Bernie let herself fall back on the bed, her heart pounding hard, something like butterflies in her stomach. "It's just a lunch" she tried to convince herself.

Another long session in theatre was over when dawn came to light the ward but Serena had never felt so full of energy. Sunny days were not so usual in Holby and each of them was a pure blessing, she thought with an excitement that the weather was only supporting. Waking up in the on-call at tree in the morning wasn't exactly her favourite way to say hi to the world, but if that meant finding herself in Bernie's arms she was ready to change her mind. As soon as everything was in its place she managed lo leave, she had never been that excited about the ending of a shift, not even when dating Robbie. He definitely knew how to heat it up and sell thrills down her spine, but everything could sound like a scarce rustle before the clangour that that woman brought along with her and her burning eyes. Serena experienced something odd, like shivering in the August sun when a buzz on her phone called her attention to a message from Bernie, indicating her address, in case she forgot or wasn't sure and the time of their appointment. Could it be considered a date? Probably yes, Serena thought, desperately wanting it to turn out like a real one. Once she was home she didn't even try to lie down, she was way too nervous to try and relax so she decided for an early, intense session of housekeeping. All of that hyperactivity calmed her down but it was eleven o'clock and she had to get ready, the engine already spinning at it's highest rithm. She didn't know what to wear, something casual? She wanted to look good even though that wasn't an actual date, was it? She didn't want to make her effort too evident, what would Bernie look like? Well she looked gorgeous with everything she wore, even with her pigiama on and slippers, did she wear slippers? Of course she did, everyone does. She tried to clear her mind and picked her clothes, had a shower and got dressed, what about the shoes? Heels? Maybe something casual, not too high. She chose a light makeup too and checked herself in her full-length mirror: "let's do it, Campbell!"

It was almost half past midday and Bernie was running around her flat, she was full dressed but you couldn't tell the same of the table. In the rush she broke a dish and cut her left ring finger, a plaster witnessing. She was still unsure about the way she arranged the table, should they sit one opposite the other? Wasn't it too formal? Side by side was better, more domestic...was it meant to feel domestic? That made sense since they were in her house. She was about to move everything again when the doorbell rang. She checked herself in the half-length mirror in her doorway and put on her casual face, some random rag still in her hand, somehow.  
"Hey you, welcome to my house!" She said to the woman standing in front of her.  
Serena was beaming, Bernie did look beautiful and she scarcely could believe they were really there. She got inside and quickly looked around, her colleague's house was like she expected it to be, simple and a little messy, really Bernie. She was taken by surprise from a chaste, casual kiss on her lips. That was just the way couples say hi, clearly nothing to be surprised for she told herself, smiling. "A couple" she liked the thought. She took her coat off and hanged it next to Bernie's pink one, she loved the way it looked on her. The other woman was watching every move she made like bewitched, Serena did look beautiful and her scent, God, it was already driving her crazy. Did she taste as good as she smelled? Bernie tried to get rid of that question and lead the way to the kitchen, she prayed for her nerves to cut her some slack as they sit down. Food was good, so the wine, company was even better and the lunch went on better than they expected, no awkward silence, just them, enjoying each other's presence as always.  
"I know" Serena laughed, she had the most beautiful laughter in the world, something able to light the room around her. Bernie was standing beside their chairs, putting the dishes in the sink.  
"Let me help" Serena proposed, standing as well.  
"Not a chance, you're my guest" Bernie refused.  
"Oh come on, didn't peg you for a severe host!" Serena japed, and Bernie read a flirty tone in that, truth is that, according to her she could make even the timetable sound sexy at times.  
"I didn't ask you here for lunch to make you clean my house" Bernie said, rolling her eyes. Her smile changing in an amused grin, her mouth suddenly dry with Serena's next line: "And what did you ask me for?" Her dark brow arced, her pearl-like teeth peeking out inviting red lips. Bernie couldn't hold herself any longer and kissed her, deeply, a fire burning hotter in her core. Serena let out the most addicting moans in her mouth, her fingers buried in her hair, pulling them a little.  
"Don't stop" she said already out of breath as they pulled apart.  
"Vow" Bernie said unable to keep her lips away from Serena long enough to build a proper sentence. For the third time Serena found herself pushed against the wall, Bernie definitely liked it slightly tough. Her mouth was hot, her hands even more, devouring her. They ended up in Bernie's bedroom without pulling apart and again, she should stop counting, Serena's beck hit a wall, the door maybe, she wasn't sure for her mind was stuck to the thrill running down her spine due to Bernie's fingers now sliding under her blouse, touching the bare skin of her back. Bernie was an hurricane, boiling hot and freezing at the same time and her mouth was already doing an amazing job on Serena's neck. She had a thing for Serena's neck too, and she could blame her intoxicating scent, the unbelievable softness of her skin, its smoothness, the throb of the high pressure blood-flow in her carotid, declaring some unmistakable excitement, or the delicious moans she elicited. Soon all of that wasn't enough, Bernie almost ripped Serena's blouse off, making it sleep from her shoulders. So the strips of her bra did and two skilled fingers undid it in a snap. Serena's body was perfect and Bernie took a second to admire it, her tongue aching with hunger.  
"Seeing anything you like, major?" Serena asked with a raspy voice, proud of the effect she was having on her partner.  
"Pretty much so" Bernie sounded almost like a growl, eyes glued to Serena's figure, to her panting, blushed up, gorgeous face. She took her by the hand and guided her to the bed. Serena unbuttoned her shirt, slowly revealing the pearly skin underneath, her fingers caressing their way up untill the fabric hit the ground, Bernie's bra followed and that's how Serena discovered female breasts. Not that she had never seen some, except from her own she'd had the chance to see many others', but this was completely new, she felt the need to touch them just to find out they perfectly fitter her hands. She kissed Bernie's skin, sucked it as fingers worked on her nipples and the major was the one to moan. Soon she bent though, her lips desperate to meet Serena's ones again, her right hand holding her wrist against the mattress, her left cupped her breast, it felt like she had imagined a lot of times before, when the thought of Serena had come to warm that bed up, and the one she slept in when she was in Kiev. Desire pounding in her temples she moved both of her hands to undress her lover's legs then was all over her again, keeping her from moving her hands by forcefully pressing her wrists down again, something that Serena seemed to like. She took one of her nipples in her mouth and hear a muffled gasp escaping from her lover's parted lips, her hips rolling behind her own body made her loose control even more. She bit her, wet kisses leading the way to her stomach and waist, where she was too soft to avoid sucking. She left a deep red love bite there, Serena already shaking in pleasure  
"Calm down, lady, I've only just begun" Bernie smirked and that definitely set the vascular surgeon on fire. Bernie had waited for that to happen for too long, she wanted to enjoy every second. She let one hand wander down her lover's side, until the prominence of the iliac crest, where it played with the hem of a delightful pair of black lace knickers, following it's shape untill the center. Serena was unbelievably hot and wet there, and Bernie noticed that by only brushing her fingers against the soaking fabric. She wanted more, thought, so pressed her fingers there and started to move them slowly in circles.  
"Oh, God" Serena moaned at that, eyes closed, hands grabbing the sheets below her.  
Finally Bernie decided she'd had enough and set Serena free from her underwear. She felt even wetter and it showed with loud slick sounds. Bernie felt her own dampness staining her clothes but couldn't care less, everything she wanted was making Serena scream. She sunk two fingers inside her hot flash moaning in pleasure, echoed by the sexiest cry she had ever heard. Serena was that ready that she made no effort in adding a third finger, her palm rubbing her hard clit. Bernie smiled at herself, despite her minute imagination she had never thought something that beautiful to exist, she couldn't take her eyes off her, she thought she wouldn't be able to do that from that moment on, actually. She reached for Serena's neck again, than her lips, licked and kissed them untill she felt a firm hand pulling her back to her neck, fingers buried in her hair. She came gloriously, all of her body shaking, her clit pulsing in Bernie's palm. She let her fingers out, her hand resting between her thighs, she looked at her, beaming. Serena was radiant, she had never expected sex to feel like that and even if she'd just had the best orgasm of her life she wanted more, over and over again. She pulled Bernie in a deep kiss, her hips rolling again to Bernie's satisfaction so she went down her body, grabbed them and took Serena in her mouth, yes, she tasted as good as she smelled. It didn't take her long to come again, and again after a brief pause that left another love bite on Serena's inner thigh. Bernie felt like she could keep going forever but than her alarm rang. Serena frowned, her breath almost calm again as she looked at her lover jumping up to turn the alarm off.  
"I fear you have to leave the ball, Cinderella" Bernie joked before straddling Serena again.  
"You settled an alarm to make me leave in time?"  
"Well, we couldn't risk to make you late, could we? Time flies when you're having fun" she winked.  
"You knew we would end up like this, didn't you?"  
"A girl needs hope."  
And every now and then hope pays back, Bernie thought as watching her partner getting up and back into her clothes. They kissed goodbye and Bernie watched her go with a smile that didn't leave her lips for the rest of the day.


	5. Friday

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Not everything went as planned.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy.

Five past midnight and Bernie's eyes were still open wide in the dark of her room. She had tried to distract herself with news, and a really interesting book she bought in Blackpool, years before and never touched. It had worked for a few hours, than she got to the final page of the book and realised she was sitting in Serena's chair, she got up and washed the few dishes she had put in the sink absent-minded, while reading, had a shower and headed to bed early. She had a few things to buy so she got up and made a list, went to the kitchen and stuck it to the fridge, there was no need in doing that at ten p.m. but she didn't feel like sleeping yet. She found a couple more things to keep some part of her mind and her body busy and got back to her bedroom, ten to midnight already. As she layed down again and rolled to her side she smelled it, Serena's scent was all over the sheets and on the pillow. Just like a few hours before she breathed it in, her mouth dry as clear pictures built in her mind and sounds, God, the sounds Serena made...  
A hand slipped beneath her oversize t-shirt, so her breasts reminded Serena's touch. Another hand went down Bernie's body, inside her pants, her eyes closed, hips already rolling. Serena's ones did it beautifully, and she was as wet as Bernie's hand was noticing now, as the major was working between her own thighs.   
"Oh, God" Serena's panting voice echoed in her mind as she let her own fingers rub her naked, hard clit, wishing Serena's mouth to do the job. She needed her perfect mouth like hair, and the growing hunger made her bite her own lip. The hand stimulating her nipples joined the other and sunk in the dump, hot entrance, up to hit the overwhelming pleasure building in her core. She parted her lips and made herself cum violently, the amazing picture of that afternoon burning it's mark on her. She stopped then, catched her breath and got her hands out of her underwear and pants just to make wet fingers reach her mouth. She tasted herself but her lover's flavour was still there, in the back of her throat. She sighed and opened her eyes: "Christ, Campbell, what are you doing to me?"

On Friday Serena's shift starts two hours later, for she has to take Jason to Seraphina's for their weekly painting lessons and she always insists for her to sit with them and share a chat over a coffee. Since the first time Jason had been so exited about it and he really seemed to like the company of that eccentric but delightful, spry woman. She adored him and his temper and they had immediately become close, everyone seemed to genuinely love Jason and Serena couldn't be happier. That morning they had planned a trip in the woods to paint en-plain-air like members of the École de Barbizon, a group of French painters Serena now knew everything about, thanks to her nephew's disclosure. They were meant to be at the woman's house at half past eight and Serena was always in time but that morning she woke up not with a fantasy but a vivid memory in her mind, two dark love bites making it even more real. She lingered on those red spots as looking at herself in the mirror, slightly brushing her own skin to stir the feeling of Bernie's touch. No matter how primitive it sounded, she loved being marked by that woman and their hours of passion. She remembered how she felt between her thighs, her own wetness sounding loud, her hand cupping her breast, her fingers working on her hard nipple. She did it all again, not looking away from the mirror, she watched herself panting and trembling with pleasure untill an orgasm slightly blurred her vision and she closed her eyes. She licked her own fingers clean, savouring herself with a new large amount of questions: did Bernie taste like that? How was it like to make a woman come with her mouth? How was it like to make Bernie come? She could only imagine the sound of her voice, deeper, huskier than usual, terribly arousing. She washed her hands and brushed her teeth, her mind stuck to those thoughts, got dressed and headed downstairs. They were in time after all and at half past nine she was back in her car, ready to make her way to the hospital. She hoped Jason to enjoy the day and the night with another couple of boys, Kaleb and Noa that used to spend the weekend with Seraphina, every now and then. Jason liked them as well and they all made a good team, though the first night he slept there he called her at two a.m. to bring him back home, apparently Kaleb got up too many times and disturbed him. She hoped he was fine this time and she hoped her dinner with Bernie to make her wake up in her bed the next morning.   
At ten a.m. everyone was pretty in his own business up to the AAU so her first meeting with her co-lead was a little rush. They were taking a man in theatre to operate his leg and her presence there appeared quite God sent. Serena didn't had the chance to look at Bernie in the eyes until they were face to face, masks on, clamp and knife in their hands.  
"Good morning" Bernie said after a brief silence, her smile sensibile behind the green mask, her eyes and voice enough to make Serena's heart flutter.  
"Good morning" She beamed like a schoolgirl, turning her eyes to the patient as soon as possible. "How was your day?" She casually asked.  
"Better now"Bernie murmured but her firm tone quite shocked her, clearly something had changed from the "I have fallen in love before, I do recognise the symptoms", and she was not so scared of showing her feelings anymore. 

It had been a regular day in the hospital and at six p.m. they left, Bernie's car following Serena to her house. As promised Bernie's gift was still unopened on the counter but Serena suggested to fix the inconvenience and sit on the sofa as soon as their dinner was in the oven. She smiled at the comfort Bernie's presence in her kitchen was, helping her out with the roast, fitting her domestic life as well as she did her professional one. Pleasurable chatters led them on the sofa, a glass of Shiraz in their hands, casual knee contact and fingers stealing as many touches as possible. Bewitched by the umpteenth long, demanding gaze Bernie placed her glass on the coffee table in front of her, probably both of them didn't know how to start, "it's all about right timing" Serena had kept repeating herself since Raf told her but she was too messed up with the constant flow of one topic thoughts in her mind to understand when the right time was.   
"Serena?" To her relief Bernie sounded as nervous as her so she encouraged her to keep going with the best naive face she had in store.  
"I really want to kiss you" Bernie hummed and the other woman's breath stopped. She set her glass on the table too and gently turned to face her, eyes helplessly lost on the thin, soft, slightly parted, than pressed in a thin line, then parted again, in anticipation lips of hers. And again, like their last kiss before Kiev they lingered on their undeniable sexual chemistry, thrills running deliciously under quivering skin, bodies pushed forward millimetre by millimetre by the uncontrolled pounding of hearts, untill they touched. Tasting one another was liberating and exciting, the more their lips were pressed one against the other, the more they rushed, the more they gave in in pure extasy. It was a constant flow of ups and downs, something able to make their heads twirl. Serena didn't realize she was straddling the other woman until she felt her hands firmly grubbing her glutes, clearly enjoying the fullness of her curves. They briefly pulled apart, giggling for no reason, eyes open wide, not to cut out any inch of each other, forehead resting in their contact, hands in hands.  
"It turns out this is the only thing I'm able to think about lately" Serena whispered and Bernie's smug grin spread wider: "Same here". The major than raised a hand, her firm and gentle fingers caressed her lover's beautiful face, thumb lining the soft curve of her cheek, increased by an astonishing smile. Index and middle finger run down her jawline until they reached Serena's chin and pulled it closer. Serena had never been kissed like that, fondly and incredibly softly before, it was deep and smooth and hot, extremely hot. She murmured in pleasure and in disappointment when the oven informed them that dinner was ready, but even then Bernie didn't loose her grip around her waist.  
"Time flies when you're having fun" Serena let out in a growl.  
"Good, because I was starving" an even lower voice came from Bernie as she moved Serena from her lap to make her lay down on the sofa, a mischievous grin on her face proving that she didn't care much about the roast. The woman in front of her was the one she was hungry for, and she had only had a bite the day before. That's how Serena found herself half naked with Berenice Wolfe on top of her again, setting her on fire with wet kisses and skilled hands. Her neck was to blame once more, the major thought, she could spend hours in licking and sucking that particularly sensitive spot where the traction of the digastric on the hyoid bone was perceivable. An eternity later, a mind-blowing eternity later the magnificent mouth of the best trauma surgeon that country had to offer was teasing its journey between Serena's thighs, smiling at the deep red mark it found there. The smell of arousal was enough to make Bernie tipsy but she took her time before finally, finally take that gasping, pleading woman in her mouth.  
"My God... you're perfect" she breathed with the few air left in her lungs. Her pleasure reaching the very top, she pressed her lover's head even closer but then her phone rang with the NHS tune and her gasp became a sound of desperation and disbelief.   
"Oh, really?" She said struggling to make her legs work to reach for her phone.  
"Fine Herrick, I'm coming" she concluded, sitting down on the couch again.   
"You were" Bernie noticed, disappoint clear even on her unbelievably casual face.  
"I don't think we have the time for a cold shower, do we?"  
"Fear not" Bernie hummed, really trying to keep her eyes off the glorious figure by her side, she honestly feared neither a bath in the ice could manage to cool her down at that point. Hannsen called her too so they both left. Luckily their work mind took advantage of them as soon as they headed to the AAU and night flied by. They restored with a sandwich from the vending machine, frankly not the meal they had in mind for that night.  
"Yes, I think that our dinner is done" Bernie sighed as sitting on the stairs in the corridor.  
"Again" Serena added but suddenly realised what the overtone was. "I'm sorry, I didn't...I didn't mean that" she hurried, her face blushing.  
"It's okay, I'm aware of that, and I'm not proud of messing it all up last time by flying to another country." She chuckled, her lips pressed in a fond smile, her hands torturing one another. She rarely showed herself that vulnerable, and Serena really thought she would kiss her if they weren't before everybody's eyes. That made her feel a little guilty, she wanted to be with Bernie and she wanted people to know, not jet.  
"I know, it's fine. We can recover."  
"The stars seem to have had other plans up to now"  
"Screw the stars" Serena blurt out. She really believed that, no matter how hard the path was, she knew that woman was worth it. That wasn't exactly the night they had in mind, but at least they spent it together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Seraphina was such a good character and I was very fond of her and her painting lessons with Jason, so here they are.


	6. Saturday

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was about to put just a pinch of Jason but ended up throwing the whole jar. Enjoy.

Saturday morning finally came to lead that one-hundred days long week to an end and Serena found herself looking forward for a whole morning in bed. She barely closed an eye last night, she and her co-lead didn't share the bed in the on-call, exactly. They made turns this time for the ward needed at least one of them and she had to admit that she already missed her at three in the morning, after a couple of hours spent in rolling about in a cold bed. Bernie's caress was warm and so her eyes, when gave their goodmornings, as the two co-leads met in their office. Bernie was still wearing her scrub so Serena decided to wait until she was ready to leave, there was always some paperwork on her desk, asking for attention, after all. The stars might had a problem with that too, for she heard her nephew's shrill call as soon as she sat down. She went out to meet him, to stop him screaming in her already aching head, most of all, she loved him, but she sometimes wished her was quiter. He was excited and couldn't wait for them to meet at home to tell her the reason. Seraphina wanted to arrange an exhibition with their paintings, the following week probably, then followed a long list of possible locations, and technical informations about the right way to organise the thing and the professional figures involved. There were way too many things to process so she just decided to smile at the few she managed to get and nod.  
"It's wonderful, Jason..." She only had the chance to say before he decided the exhibition topic was over and something else deserved his attention:  
"What's that?" Jason asked moving in her personal space to have a better view of her neck. Serena tried to dismiss the question and step back but she knew she was meant to lose that game.  
"You've got a red sign on your neck, right here".  
Serena muttered some suggestions, some frankly little plausible suggestions, her face on fire. She hadn't had the time to check herself in the mirror since last night but she distinctly remembered a certain trauma surgeon displaying some appreciation to her neck, as laying on top of her on her couch, as her hand were doing equal amazing things to the rest of her body.  
"I don't know, it doesn't look like an irritation, it's more like a love bite" he concluded nodding at himself.  
"Bernie, do you know how do love bites look?" He shouted as he saw her approaching, her face passed from confused to embarrassed in an heartbeat, a really fast one.  
"It-it, well, it's a strange question, why do you want to know?" She said walking as fast as she could to avoid him shouting again.  
"I think they look like bruises, they're both caused by the breakdown of capillaries, are they?"  
"Y-yes, correct" her eyes wide open.  
"Why do they call them love bites? Why would you want to break the capillaries of someone you love? It looks like a painful thing, bruises hurt. When you love someone you don't want to hurt him, do you?"  
"Well, of course you don't...But I'm sure is not about that..."  
He frowned but fortunately gave that up.  
"And do you think a love bite can look like this?" He said but Serena's reproach stopped him from getting any closer. He blinked in confusion than turned to face Bernie, his eyes brighted up by a sudden revelation.  
"Was it you?"  
"E-excuse me?" She almost choked with air, or saliva, or anxiety, or whatever it was.  
"You love auntie Serena, well I assume you do, she loves you a lot, so I think it makes sense if you do too, do you?  
Bernie's eyes immediately run to meet Serena's asking confirm to the "she loves you a lot" statement but realized that Jason had just asked her a question so she mumbled some incomprehesible answer.  
"Enough, Jason!" Serena finally chipped in. "Thank you for your care but my neck is perfectly fine, Ms Wolfe has got work to do and so do we, right?"  
"Alright Ms Campbell, we're working now" he said looking down.  
Serena sighed than faked a diplomatic smile to her co-lead.  
"Ms Wolfe, can you join me in the office, please?"  
Bernie found her a little intimidating, thank God she wasn't her boss, she knew she was in trouble anyway.   
"Close the door" Serena barked "Oh marvellous" she sighed as checking herself in the small mirror she always had in her purse.  
"I'm sorry?" Bernie giggled, finding Serena quite adorable.  
"Do you think it's funny? I'm trying to keep a professional behaviour here"  
Serena's tone was harsh and Bernie got serious all at once: "Oh come on, you're a great professional, a sign on your neck is not changing that" she said but she got closer and Serena shivered, the other woman's next line proving her she had the right to do that: "And I'm really sorry, that one wasn't intentional." She winked, grubbed her bag, made her way out the room and left her there, all of her anxiety and shame turned in desire, throbbing in her core and between her thighs. She knew what she was going to do first, as soon as she was back in her house, and in her bed. 

It was early afternoon when Bernie's phone buzzed with an incoming message:

"Jason's with Alan tonight, join me for dinner?"

She smiled at herself and bit her lip:

"Thought you were mad at me"

She liked teasing Serena, she had never enjoyed it that much but it was different, flirting had always been their game, since the first time in the carpark.

"I still am. I'm offering you a chance to earn forgiveness."

"So nice of you"

"Seven o'clock?"

"Can't wait."

It was true, she couldn't wait.

Like clockwork at seven Serena's doorbell rang, Bernie was expecting her to be still mad at her, mostly to get her back, but she wasn't expecting her to sigh and roll her eyes as a greeting. As soon as she was inside she realised she wasn't the one to blame for her partner's exasperation.  
"Calm down, Jason, maybe it can be fixed before the match" Serena yelled to the phone than softened her voice to speak to her guest: "Again, not exactly the evening we planned. Sorry We're in the middle of a little crisis here".  
Bernie frowned as the other woman pretended to pay attention to what seemed too be Jason's tenth, equal line in that conversation. Serena covered the microphone with her hand and tried to explain as quick as she could. Alan's TV had something wrong, something they had tried to fix but failed so couldn't watch football.   
"Yes, she is, I'm not being the best host at the moment" Serena answered, frankly a little pissed off.  
"Oh don't worry" Bernie rushed, feeling sorry for Jason, for her kind of intromission in their lives. She surely didn't want to cause any trouble, since she knew they were already having some.  
"They could come and watch football here" she suggested.  
"Are you sure?" Serena asked in between slight disappointment and admiration.  
"Of course, it's football tonight, we can't miss it." Bernie said like it was the most natural thing to say. So the problem was fixed.  
"Thank you" Serena fondly whispered already in her partner's arms.  
"Have I earned forgiveness?" The other teased.  
"You have" were Serena's last, scarcely audible words before her lips were involved in a way more intimate, tender conversation that stopped only when the doorbell rang again.

They all ate dinner in the living room and Jason had his chips, Bernie could hardly remember something that warm and familiar, Cam and Charlie had stopped spending nights with their parents on the couch when they were teenagers and nothing was quite comparable to the feeling of Serena's head on her shoulder. When she stood to tidy up Bernie followed her in the kitchen and Serena didn't even try to protest. Like moved by the same brain Serena washed the dishes and Bernie put them in the washing machine.  
"Thank you" Serena started.  
"You've already said that" the other woman joked so Serena rolled her eyes, poorly hiding a wide smile.  
"You're so good with Jason and I can do anything but be grateful to your efforts."  
"No effort...when you love someone you choose all of them, the way they are... I'm not doing you a favour, I choose this... Because I love..." "You" she thought, "Jason" she said, big, warm, shy eyes fighting to meet and run from Serena's, heart pounding in her sweaty but cold hands.  
"I love him too" Serena muttered, lost in Bernie's gaze. Their lips met again, in a deep, silent confession that guided them closer with every second.  
"Aunty Serena! You're missing the last minute! We're winning!" Jason shouted from the living room and they were brought back from wherever they had been since then.  
Alan stayed for a few minutes after the match was over for Jason wanted the two women to know every single detail they missed.  
"Alan has to go now and so do you, but we can watch football together from now on, if you like" the young man proposed. His aunt tried to say something but Bernie stopped her: "I would love it, Jason" she asserted.  
"Good...are you going to bite something?" He frowned, sincerely worried about it. Than explained to Alan "I thinks she bites things she loves...is it love that bites? Do you know why they call them love bites?"   
"Jason!" Serena scolded him again, her face as red as her shirt.   
"What's this?" Alan asked in confusion but she chipped in to put a full stop to it all: "It's nothing, really" she declared.  
"And I'm not biteing you, young man" Bernie fondly smiled, as ruffling his dark curls. Alan left and Bernie lingered a little longer on Serena's porch.  
"He likes you" she said.  
"I'm glad..."  
"You don't have to come here and watch football every Saturday night, you know."  
"I know, I want to... maybe not every Saturday, but I liked it tonight."  
Serena smiled at that.  
"See you tomorrow?" Bernie tried, even though she knew they weren't meant to see each other every day, that Serena might like some time on her own.  
"I'd love to." Serena calmed her anxiety down.  
"Good, see you tomorrow then" Bernie whispered and kissed the other woman goodbye, then made her way to the stairs.  
"Bernie" Serena's call stopped her, heart pounding some way faster.  
"Yes?"  
"I love you" Serena thought, "Goodnight" she said instead, eliciting a lopsided smile on Bernie's thin, pale lips.  
"Goodnight" she said back and walked away.   
Serena's back hit the front door as soon as she closed it, she sighed: "Serena Wendy Campbell, you are such a coward."

Back in her car and in her house Bernie couldn't stop cursing herself as well, why was it that hard to be totally sincere with Serena, what was she was afraid of? She had helplessly fallen in love with her a long time before, could it still be too soon to say it out loud? To her? She picked her phone from the nightstand, but placed it down again immediately, she couldn't do that with a message. 

That night they both forced themselves to fall asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Love Jason btw. And the Serena-Jason-Bernie relationship is lovely, in my opinion they really are a family, no matter what Serena thought (fuck canon). Who's with me?


	7. Sunday

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had this picture in my mind and felt the need to paint it, the whole story came from that. Enjoy.

<https://www.deviantart.com/swartmaan/art/Berena-872406280>

Serena opened her mouth to let Bernie's tongue in and she understood that she wasn't good at speaking her emotions because she preferred showing them silently, and in that no one could measure up with her. She had been waiting the day to pass with a frenzy that only her partner's lips could soothe. She had barely held herself during their dinner. It was a fancy Italian restaurant and there were far too many people watching to be smug, though the woman opposite her didn't make that easy, with her amusing grin, bewitching hands and collarbones piping out the half opened shirt she was wearing, too much skin exposed and jet too much still hidden. Serena dyed-in-the-wool hero sexual Campbell didn't recognize herself anymore, she was clearly freaking out and she was starving. That's how she found herself begging Bernie to devour her as soon as the pair slammed the front door closed, their coats still on.  
"Sorry" Bernie tossed, out of breath. "I'm probably not the best in doing the honours, but I've been waiting to do this for the whole evening"   
"You can say the whole day" Serena breathed before Bernie's mouth forbade her to keep going. Serena's coat hit the floor, followed by Bernie's one and other pieces of clothing, scattered all around the way to Bernie's bed. Serena fell, the other woman on top of her, leaving burning hot spots all over her body with her mouth and incredible hands. They knew how to touch, how much pressure, how much speed. They knew where to brush in teasing and where to sink, leaving marks and scratches behind. Those hands were a master piece but her mouth definitely held the candle. It sucked, held and caressed, it's lips didn't simply kiss, they drank, ate, played, it's tongue dived and savoured, taking air straight from Serena's lungs. She couldn't help but moan in extasy, follow the lead of the woman that owned her completely. She sit up, Bernie on her lap deliciously rolling her hips, hands and arms wrapped around hot and shivering, naked skin in a heated up embrace. The major was a leader in bed as she was in the ward but the other woman was any different, she was just less experienced but learned fast.  
"No, wait" she said to stop Bernie's head's journay down her body. The other woman was hit right in the head by a falling brick, had Serena changed her mind? Was it too much too soon? This time it would have been almost impossible being just friends. Her panic and concern were far too evident in her wide-open eyes and Serena felt bad about it, so she hurried to add some more, panting words: "I want to..." She sit up again "lay down". Bernie gulped the leap in her throat, her anxiety turned in anticipation as Serena straddled her and bent down to kiss her deeply. Tongues and fingers entangled, chests rising and falling in opposition, like tho parts of the same, perfect engine. Like the first time, Serena's hand cupped her lover's breast, her fingers played with her nipple, then her mouth did the same. She loved the softness of breasts, and the shape of female nipples, they were made to be sucked, which made sense, of course, but she had never thought about that, not in that way, at least. She needed to try something else though, she needed to taste Bernie like she had been tasted many times before by her former partners and by her, like she had never thought she would want to. She moved towards her lover's pube, enjoined the brush or her hair under her pads and reached the clit. She added pressure there, like she often did to herself, and started to circle the area. Bernie closed her eyes and opened her mouth for air as her lover pushed her fingers downer sinking in the pool between her thighs. Bernie's dampness felt and sounded delicious, did it taste the same? Miss Campbell was the one for empirical research and took her own, wet fingers to her mouth, liking them clean under the bewitched gaze of her partner. It felt extremely good but she needed more evidences so she went down until facing the source of the intoxicating smell already making her tipsy. She took her time, this couldn't be hard, she knew what a woman might like, she remembered the movements she had experienced on her own body, it couldn't be difficult to recreate them. The tip of her tongue teased a little more, her mouth sucked the strong tendon of her abductor lungus, stretched in desperation to push legs open wide, almost pleading for Serena to soothe the need burning in the middle. With trembling lips she finally gave her lover what she wanted, what they both wanted. She gently but firmly kissed her clit, added her tongue on it and down, between dripping wet folds, it wasn't too different from kissing a mouth, she thought, suddenly unable to stop. Bernie was making the most addicting moans, hips rolling, fingers buried in the other woman's hair, holding her head close. Serena added her fingers, one at first, teasing the entrance, two then, pushed deep inside. She pulled back to watch her partner's reaction with a grin that Bernie desperately wanted to kiss.  
"Come here" she faintly whispered and Serena couldn't and wouldn't deny her anything. Her own taste on her lover's lips made the major shiver, as her fingers found their way again in her hair and down her body. Serena gasped in Bernie's mouth when they reached their goal. She was that turned on that she couldn't last long, not in Bernie's embrace, not with her tongue doing fabulous things to her mouth. When her lover came Serena thought that none of the seven wonders could hold a candle, and that feeling perfectly mixed with the overwhelming pleasure between her thighs, so her vision blurred and she closed her eyes. The pair collapsed on the bed, panting and beaming, kissing and touching every inch of each other's trembling bodies.

"what?" Serena whispered after a while, noticing the other woman's intense gaze, as her fingers caressed her face and hair.  
"You are the most beautiful woman I'd ever seen, Campbell" Bernie uttered, like a too loud thought, a fond smile on her lips, and that look in her eyes.  
Serena crackled a little: "You have never looked at you, haven't you?" She sang. She meant it, no woman on Earth could hold a candle to Berenice Wolfe.  
"It is easy for me, I'm the first lucky girl that caught your eye" Bernie smiled, raising both the eyebrows with smugness.  
"Oh and how many girls had caught your eye, Casanova?" Serena teased, displaying some fake annoyance, so the other woman laughed: "A few" than got serious again, her deep brown honey eyes taking Serena's breath away.   
"Still you're the best" she said and bit her lip in anticipation. Serena couldn't take her eyes from that gesture, she always felt her knees weak when she did that, something that was quite a problem in ward, but not now, in Bernie's bed. It felt relieving being able to kiss her as much as she wished, letting her tongue tease her lips and caress her own, letting her own hands brush the smooth skin of the most amusing hips she would have ever touched. Bernie let that deep kiss guide her on top of her lover, turned on again by the contract with her hot skin. Serena's hands on her body were the best feeling as both women rolled hips with the same rithm, breathing hard in each other's mouths. Bernie made it slow this time, admiring her lover's perfectly even out face with both her eyes and fingers, raising her chin with the tip of them, guiding her closer untill they become one. Her free hand traveled down her curves, savouring their astonishing perfection. Her left arm slipped behind Serena's neck so she tossed her head back, leaving wide access to her lover's kisses, a hand on her shoulder holding her close.  
Bernie kissed her way down Serena's chest, her claves, soft breasts and hard nipples diving her crazy. She pulled back, mouth ajar and eyes open wide in a raptured gaze, not a million years could be enough to drink Serena up not to be thirsty anymore. Her right fingers brushed the thick hair on her pube and dived between her thighs. They easily slipped inside her flesh, whose wetness dripped out, staining the mattress and Bernie's palm, so she opened her mouth in an intoxicated, surprised gasp, eyes almost closed to focus only on that touch. Serena couldn't help a smile blossoming on her red, parted lips. It was that expression on her lover's face, maybe the streetlamp light painting it in fire shades, or the pleasure already building up in her core, or the heat of Bernie's skin, or the addicting smell of her, her golden, always messy locks, the smooth surface of her muscular body, the delicacy of her firm touch, maybe her eyes, those wonderful, endless eyes. Serena pushed her own hand towards her lover's pube, she wanted to touch her again, to make her moan and tremble once more. It felt perfect and Bernie was soon all over the other woman's mouth, both needing that kiss like hair.  
"I-I'm coming, Bernie..." Serena faintly breathed and the major felt herself close too. She held her tighter, buried in the crook of her neck, each other's moans and gasps whispered in each other's ears, faster, harder until everything got darker. The pression that had been building up in Serena's lungs for the whole week, or since the day Bernie left for her secondment, or their first kiss, or even since their first meeting in front of her broken car released all at once.  
Bernie was there, all of her, in her arms and somewhere deeper in her chest, finally, totally, in some overwhelming way that almost ached, too much to remain buried behind the surface. It felt like an explosion, like a flood suddenly breaking the banks and Serena let it go, she grabbed her lover's shoulder tighter, surely leaving red scars behind, tears lining the sides of her face, chest jumping with sobs that echoed in her throat. Concern drove Bernie out of the fuzziness of her own orgasm. "Hey, hey, what's wrong?" She muttered softly, as struggling to pull back and look at the other woman's face. Serena forced her down with both her arms around her neck, a hand cupping her head, her legs entangled around her waist. Bernie gave in, holding Serena like that was fulfilling and enough to set her fears aside for a while. They stayed like that until Serena was calmer and she was able to speak, slightly embarrassed by her vulnerability. "I'm sorry" she tossed, her voice still raspy. "I-I'm not used to cry like that, or to cry at all, after... it's just that..."  
"Did I hurt you, or made you feel bad?" Bernie asked, a genuine concern in her eyes and deep, husky voice.  
"No, no, it was good, well, more than good, it was perfect, y-you were perfect... you are" she said lovingly and Bernie smiled. That woman was incredible. She frowned a little, she had never thought to feel like that, she had never expected to fall that way but she didn't want to stand tall anymore if that meant leaving Serena down. She shook her head with the most tender lopsided smile :"I love you" she breathed like a too loud thought and Serena gave a muffled, relieved laughter, her eyes still shining with tears and something else, something Bernie was not afraid of anymore. "I've been wanting you to say it for weeks" she said and both laughed through a million kisses. Bernie layed down again, in the backlight her whole figure was lined by a thin glowing rim that spread through her soft hair, lighting her face like an ethereal aura. Her magnificent fingers run again on Serena's skin, from the hip, loosely covered by the blanket, up to the waist and torso, arm, shoulder, collarbone, neck, ear, jaw, cheekbone, lips. It was almost midnight but they didn't want to fall asleep just yet. They looked at each other for a long time, close enough to touch, legs and fingers entangled. Serena was the first to close her eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, I didn't manage to post the picture here properly. Check the link (hope you're able to see it on deviant art and hope you like it).


	8. Monday

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, if you read Hope you know what was missing from the first night Serena spent at Bernie's.  
> Enjoy.

Undefined amount of time after midnight and Bernie's eyes struggled not to close. She had a morning shift that day and knew she would regret that but she had never felt that right before. Serena was asleep by her side, beautiful like always, maybe a little more. Light coming from she street lamps made her naked skin glow, painted in orange and gold by the finest hand. Her chest rising and falling gently, in a slow but regular rithm, echoed by her breathing, like waves moving forward and pulling back on the shore. She had always liked the muffled lullaby the sea sings in placid nights, since she was a child and spent summer on the west coast of Great Britain. When she was in the army she sometimes had the chance to spend nights on the seaside, and when she couldn't she recalled that feeling to her mind, it was the only thing that coul soothe the her nerves after a long, terrifying day. That was the closest she could get to something she could call "home" and now there was something else, something more. She didn't want to make a fool of herself, she knew that life gives and life takes, probably no one knew how fast the world can change better then Bernie but that night was a full stop, she had no doubt, nothing coming next would take it from her. She looked at the sleeping woman by her side one last time, that was a picture she would never forget.

When morning came Serena was taken by surprise by the heat of strong yet delicate arms holding her, it took her a few seconds to realise that the pictures running in her mind were not coming from a dream but from memories of last night, that she was in Bernie's house, in Bernie's bed, in Bernie's arms. She smiled at herself and at her partner's still closed eyes, eyelashes almost imperceptibly fluttering, their colour perfectly matched with the rest of that woman's hair, all of them, she thought and a grin spread on her face. She followed the path along the edge of the scarp of her nose, into the deep of her brow, down perfectly sculpted cheekbone, until the pink, slightly parted lips, too soft to make her think straight. She faintly kissed them and a bolt of electricity made the sleeping beauty open her eyes.  
"Good morning" Bernie smiled, her voice sleepy.  
"Meet the sunshine, Aurora" Serena joked and the other woman let out a throaty laugh.  
"How is it we are Disney Princesses?"  
"Oh and who was I? Cinderella?"  
"Yes, Aurora and Cinderella"  
"Nice couple"  
"I've always thought they could have a thing." Bernie rose both her brows in a smug expression.  
"Really?" Serena asked, her mind already already looking for some queer subtext in popular culture characters.  
"Of course!" Bernie mocked, Serena being naive looked beyond adorable.  
"You're making a fool of me, aren't you?" Serena faked grudge.  
"Me? Never."  
"You're a really bad girl" Serena grinned and soon was on top of her partner, their faces only millimetres apart.  
"Am I?" Bernie husky voice murmured before Serena's lips came to turn her grin into the most tender smile. They couldn't keep their hands from each other's bodies, neither in bed or in the shower, hot water making the journey easier, inevitable. Wet mouths and wet flesh, soap and arousal combined in an intoxicating mix, moans and gasps half covered by the pounding of the falling water, half amplified by the empty walls. Despite the loads of distractions it was still early in the morning, the sun still low out of the kitchen window as Serena set down by the table, a smoking cup of coffee in her hands, could that day start better? Bernie took her own cup and leaned on the table, somehow she never choose chairs, much to her partner's delight though, for it gave her the chance to admire the most perfect thighs ever, beautifully embraced by a pair of skinny jeans. Yes, that day could start better.  
"You're not that bad in doing the honours, after all" Serena said, her hand somehow already resting on the other woman's thigh, her fingers soon reached by Bernie's. She loved Serena's hands, the way they moved was magnetic at times, light beautifully running on every small prominence, softly shading in a million scarcely different tones of shadow. So she often found herself staring at them, raptured by the way they looked and recalling the way they felt.  
"I want you to know that I don't have that in store for every guest coming through my door"  
"I dare to hope so, major!" Serena got along with the joke and stood up, making herself room between her partner's thighs.  
"Are you scolding me, boss?" Bernie uttered with a smirk, mirrored by Serena, who's voice had become raspier and lower: "I tend to keep for me those things that I like."  
"Am I one of those?" Bernie asked in a low breath, air stoled from her lungs by the other woman's words, almost brushing her lips.  
"Pretty much one" she said just before falling in a long, soft kiss she could spend the rest of her life doing.  
Serena was the first to touch the ground again: "I fear our time is running out"  
"Do you want to go?"  
"Well, not really...but I think we're better getting there..." "Before everyone arrives" she thought and it made her feel bad, she had never felt ashamed of kissing the life out of Robbie in the car park or showing him off in the ward, but it wasn't the same thing. Bernie I-used-my-eyes-to-steal-your-breath Wolfe wasn't Robbie, he wasn't a colleague and co-lead and he wasn't a woman. "I don't want to be the reason for you to be late" she said instead, considering it a good compromise. Bernie smiled, she knew, she knew that everything was new to her partner, that their romance had exploded one day and terrified her, both of them. So she said no more about it, no pressure, she would take whatever was coming, whenever it was. She had never expected to see Serena Campbell drinking coffe in her kitchen the morning after but there she was, life was full of surprises, some unbelievably charming, and she was open to every further one, totally.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> BBC told us what happened then.  
> Thanks for reading, everyone.


End file.
